זוהר, מצורע ה׳Zohar, Metzora 5

Segment 1א׳

תָּא חֲזֵי, כְּתִיב וְלָקַח לַמִּטַּהֵר שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים חַיּוֹת טְהוֹרוֹת. כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר, שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים, לָא יְדַעְנָא דְּאִינּוּן חַיוֹת, אֶלָּא, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ, אֲבָל חַיּוֹת, חַיּוֹת מַמָּשׁ. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (יחזקאל א׳:ט״ו) וָאֵרֶא הַחַיּוֹת, לָקֳבֵל אֲתַר דְּיַנְקֵי מִנַּיְיהוּ נְבִיאֵי מְהֵימְנֵי, וְעֵץ אֶרֶז הָא אִתְּמַר, וּשְׁנִי תּוֹלַעַת, סְטָר סוּמָקָא דִּגְבוּרָה דְּאִשְׁתַּתֵּף בַּהֲדֵיהּ בְּקַדְמִיתָא. וְאֵזוֹב, דָּא ו' זְעֵירָא, דְּיָנִיק לֵיהּ לִכְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבְגִין כָּךְ, עֵץ אֶרֶז וְאֵזוֹב, אַזְלָן כַּחֲדָא, וְעַל דָּא ו' ו' כַּחֲדָא אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ, חַד עִלָּאָה, וְחַד זְעֵירָא, וְקַרְיָין לוֹן, ו' עִלָּאָה, ו' תַּתָּאָה. וְכֻלְּהוּ אָהַדְרוּ לְשַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי בְּגִין דְּהָא אִתְדָּכֵי, לָקֳבֵל אִלֵּין, לְתַתָּא (מנייהו), עֵץ אֶרֶז וְאֵזוֹב וּשְׁנִי תּוֹלַעַת אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ (בשמא) בְּדַכְיוּתָא דָּא, וְתַּלְיָין מֵאִלֵּין עִלָּאִין.

Observe: it is written, “And he shall take for him that is to be cleansed two living clean birds.” Since it says “two birds”, do I not know that they are living? But this has been stated already. Yet “living” means living creatures in the literal sense, as it says, “And I saw the living creatures” (Ezek. 1, 15) — corresponding to the place from which the faithful prophets draw. And cedar wood has been stated. And scarlet: the red side of gevurah (severity), which was joined with him at the first. And hyssop: this is the lesser Vau, which gives sustenance to the Community of Israel. And therefore cedar wood and hyssop go together; and so two Vaus are found together, one supernal and one lesser, and they are called the upper Vau and the lower Vau. And all of them returned to rest upon him, because he has been purified. Corresponding to these, below them, cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet are found in this purification, and they depend on these supernal ones.